I want to highlight some of the most criminally underseen films of 2009. Most are without any American distribution and others may just get small (and potentially unnoticeable) releases next year. It’s quite sad that many of these movies will never have the opportunity to find an audience. There is word of mouth potential for [...]
I judge the efficiency of a documentary based on two things: its ability to inform in an interesting way, and its long-lasting effect. If I am still thinking about it a week later, then it’s passed the test. Based on those criteria, here are my top 10 documentaries of the decade.
1- Children Underground (2001)
Directed by Edet [...]
10– A Serious Man (18 Points)
Directed by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Blending dark humor with profoundly personal themes, The Coen Brothers deliver their most intimate film yet. Expanding upon some of the themes they’ve played with in the past, the film deals with everything from man’s search for meaning, the existence of God, pattern and [...]
According to Variety magazine, director Emir Kusturica (When Father was Away on Business) is hoping to cast Johnny Depp in the role of Poncho Villa in his next film Seven Friends of Poncho Villa and the Woman with Six Fingers. The two have already collaborated in 1993’s Arizona Dream. The negotiations to cast Depp have [...]
39- The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Directed by Wes Anderson
Genre: Dark Comedy, Family Drama
Wes Anderson’s fairy tale of a New York dysfunctional family is a wonderful, quirky, offbeat comedy-drama with the right mix of humor and poignancy. Never sentimental or predictable The Royal Tenenbaums proves that Wes Anderson remains one of the truly original voices in contemporary [...]
Undertones: Volume 8
As we approach the end of the decade, it seems fitting that this installment of Undertones concern itself with some of the most memorable film scores of the ‘00s. Though the films range in financial or critical success, and opinions may be divided as to the strength of some of the films as [...]
49- District 9 (2009)
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Genre: Sci-fi
District 9 is an allegory for our time, bursting with contemporary themes such as oppression, greed, power and propaganda and while the metaphor itself is pretty clear, Blomkamp goes for the visceral quality of the images and situations proving that sci-fi thrillers don’t have to be star-studded or [...]
69 – A Serious Man (2009)
Directed by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Genre: Drama, Dark Comedy
Blending dark humor with profoundly personal themes, The Coen Brothers deliver their most intimate film yet. Expanding upon some of the themes they’ve played with in the past, the film deals with everything from man’s search for meaning, the existence of [...]
Before I get to number 49 I feel the need to list fifty honorable mentions. This is a very personal list and I am confident that I could have easily chosen 100 foreign language films or 100 independent art house films and skipped out on all the Hollywood flicks, but I decided to go with [...]
Sound On Sight would like to wish all our readers and listeners a happy holiday. Thank you for all your support. We really look forward to 2010 and hope our site will only continue to grow with all your support.
- Ricky D
Runner-up: 11) Idiocracy (2006)
I initially felt iffy about including Idiocracy on this list, but the more I thought about it critically, and as a work of science fiction, the more I felt it appropriate. Still, I’m only listing it as the runner-up. Created by Mike Judge of many other comedic successes, this time travel flick [...]
Montreal December 16 – What better way to kick off the new decade than endulging yourself in a sensory experience at Montreal’s most historic porn theatre? On January 6th, Cinema l’Amour re-opens to the general public for an outrageous evening with legendary live Montreal hip hop act, Velvet Trench Vibes, and I Drink Your Blood! [...]
FROZEN is a great new horror film from Adam Green (Hatchet, Spiral) set to roll in to theatres in February, courtesy of Anchor Bay.
A typical day on the slopes turns into a chilling nightmare for three snowboarders when they get stranded on the chairlift before their last run. As the ski patrol switches off [...]
Cameron has accomplished that rare task, to inject a real sense of magic and spectacle sorely lacking in big budget movies, aptly bookmarking the prologue and finale of the film with the image of eyes opening, an apt cinematic metaphor for his triumphant return to the multiplexes.
Avatar
James Cameron 2009
Ferngully with guns. Dances with Smurfs. A [...]
59- Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Directed by Andrew Jarecki
Genre: Documentary
On the surface, the Friedmans were a typical 1980s American family until on one Thanksgiving Day, when that happy façade came to a crashing halt. After the local police discovered the dad had engaged in the buying and selling of child pornography, they questioned several [...]
